Boat leveler tab

ABSTRACT

A boat leveler member formed of a single molding of plastic material integrally hinging together the hinge bracket and the leveler tab, with motor piston hinge bosses integrally molded to the tab and, if desired, rigidifing ridges or the like being also molded into the surface of the tab.

ltercheval States atent 11 1 1 June 6, 1974 1 1 BOAT LEVELER TAB 3,404,651 10/1968 Jensen et Ell 114 665 P 3, 0 .07 81971 B (if d 114 66.5 P

[76] Inventor: Frank Kercheva'i Pasadena H1115 3,290,342 10/1972 13261:; 114/665 P Pasadena Hills, Mo. 63121 [22] Filed: Nov. 7, 1972 [21] Appl. No.1 304,551

[52] US. Cl. 114/665 P {51] Km. Cl B631) 1/22 [58] Field of Search 114/665 P [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,002,485 l0/l96l Curtis 114/665 P 3,298,344 1/1967 Yunkler et al. 114/665 P Primary Examiner-Trygve 1V1. Blix Assistant EwminerStuart 1V1. Golclstein 5 7 1 ABSTRACT A boat leveler member formed of a single molding of plastic material integrally hinging together the hinge bracket and the leveler tab, with motor piston hinge bosses integrally molded to the tab and, if desired, rigidifing ridges or the like being also molded into the surface of the tab.

1 (Claim, 1 firawing Figures 1 BOAT LEVELER TAB BACKGROUND AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION Boat leveler hinge tabs heretofore have usually been made of two metal pieces, connected by a hinge, one the leveler tab itself and the hinge bracket to be secured to the boat transom or other appropriate part of the boat. The tab and hinge portion have been secured together by means such as a piano hinge. To minimize corrosion and electrolysis, parts have been made of stainless steel, which is very expensive. Also multi-part construction is expensive to build, requiring the manufacture of a number of individual parts, and requiring their assembly.

With the present invention the unitary character of the hinge and tab eliminates the separate manufacture of parts and the assembly thereof. Also, being of plastic, it is much less expensive and yet eliminates the corrosion problem. The levelling tab can be made as rigid as desired by choice of thickness of material, or preferably by the addition of rigidifying ridges or the like as herein illustrated.

Other features and objects will appear from the description to follow.

In the drawings:

FlG I is an end elevation of a fragment of the stern of a boat with the leveler device applied thereto;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the unitary leveler member of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a cutaway edge view of the leveler particularly to illustrate the hinge; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary edge view of the hinge area with the parts flattened out.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A boat has a transom 11. In FIG. 1 the leveler mechanism is assembled on the transom 11. It has a hose trim 12 through which a flexible tube 13 extends and hydraulic pressure fluid from a motor-driven pump (not shown) to the upper end ofa piston motor 14. This piston motor has one end swivelled to a bracket 15 that is also secured to the transom 11. The other end of the motor, as will appear, is swivelled to the device of the present invention. This type of arrangement is shown in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,326,164.

Referring also to FIGS. 2-4, as well as to FIG. 1, the tab of the present invention is a unitary member that can be molded from appropriate tough plastic material that can withstand repeated flexing at temperatures normally encountered by boats. For example, polypropylene with 40 percent talc, or nylon Type 12 with 30 percent glass fiber or other like materials, are appropriate.

The unit generally indicated at has a mounting bracket portion 21 connected to a levelling tab portion 22. The trickness of the member 20 is sharply reduced at the junction of the mounting bracket portion and tab portion to form a hinge 23. FIG. 4 shows the general shpae of this hinge portion 23 when the mounting part 21 is flat with the levelling tab portion 22.

The top surface of the levelling tab portion 22 has integrally molded thereon opposite pairs of ears 25 that may have transverse holes to receive the swivel end of the piston rod of the piston motor I4. As illustrated in FIG. 2, there are two sets of such ears, and this will normally be the case in most levelers, excepting only the short ones of about one foot width. Stiffening ridges 27 may be molded into the surface of the tab. These may assume any form desired.

Characteristic dimensions of these levelers are to have the mounting bracket portion 21 about 3 inches across (vertically in FIG. 1) so as to receive the necessary number of screw holes 28 by means of which it may be mounted with screws onto the transom of the boat, and to have the leveler portion 22 8 inches across. The units may be provided in different widths (laterally of the boat) from 12 inches up to 60 inches. The illustrated one in FIG. 2 is the 24 inch size, but it is not intended to be scaled.

As will be understood, the use of this leveler on the transom of a boat involves adjustment of the position of the piston in the motor 14 to set the leveler portion 22 at such an angle to the transom that it will set the proper attitude for the bow of the boat in the water. Also normally a tab is provided for each side of the transom so that the tabs can be adjusted individually to trim the list of the boat, compensating for any irregularity of load or weight distribution and the like.

The foregoing leveler member 20 attains the advantages previously mentioned, in a simple and inexpensive manner.

What is claimed is:

1. In a boat levelling device: a leveler unit comprising a unitary combination of mounting bracket, leveler tab and hinge, all formed as a single piece of plastic material, the mounting bracket being normally bent at approximately to the tab, at the hinge, so that the bracket can be attached to a transom and the tab can extend from the transom generally horizontally, the material being relatively flexible in the hinge portion to permit bending of the tab relative to the mounting bracket, from a position generally co-planar with the bracket to the position at an angle thereto, and being relatively rigid in the mounting bracket and tab portions, the cross-section of the material being reduced at the junction of the mounting bracket and leveler tab to constitute a flexible bridging portion forming the hinge between the angularly disposable tab and bracket, motor connection ear means integrally formed on the upper surface of the leveler tab, strengthening shapes projecting from the surface of the leveler tab, the strengthening shapes being integrally formed as part of the plastic material of the leveler tab, and comprising ribs upstanding from the upper surface of the tab, the

under surface of the tab being substantially flat. 

1. In a boat levelling device: a leveler unit comprising a unitary combination of mounting bracket, leveler tab and hinge, all formed as a single piece of plastic material, the mounting bracket being normally bent at approximately 90* to the tab, at the hinge, so that the bracket can be attached to a transom and the tab can extend from the transom generally horizontally, the material being relatively flexible in the hinge portion to permit bending of the tab relative to the mounting bracket, from a position generally co-planar with the bracket to the position at an angle thereto, and being relatively rigid in the mounting bracket and tab portions, the cross-section of the material being reduced at the junction of the mounting bracket and leveler tab to constitute a flexible bridging portion forming the hinge between the angularly disposable tab and bracket, motor connection ear means integrally formed on the upper surface of the leveler tab, strengthening shapes projecting from the surface of the leveler tab, the strengthening shapes being integrally formed as part of the plastic material of the leveler tab, and comprising ribs upstanding from the upper surface of the tab, the under surface of the tab being substantially flat. 